Who thinks, “Hmmm, what to have for dinner tomorrow?” and randomly has an intense craving for wild mushroom crepes with Bechamel sauce? I feel like this can’t be normal. Nevertheless, a few weeks back this inexplicable vision and deep gut feeling led me to cooking up this meal on a Wednesday night, and let me tell you, the feeling was right!

I ended up creating a Wild Mushroom Crepes recipe that was so on point, upon finishing dinner (and after a few minutes of yelling “YUM!,” “MMMMMM,” and a few “Oh MAN’s!”), I immediately called my mom to volunteer to make them as an unconventional Thanksgiving appetizer. But, because she has had her heart set on Turkey Tetrazzini this year (her own unconventional spin on Thanksgiving, I guess), her enthusiasm was, let’s just say, tepid at best. But that’s just because she don’t even KNOW the flava these crepes are packin’! They’re so easy and tasty that it would be criminal of me not to share my recipe with the world. So, without further ado…Continue Reading

Like this:

Whoa now, Craftsman and Wolves, you’re comin’ in hot. Here’s what I like about you – you’re a little arrogant. How so? I mean c’mon, the dapper baker at the helm, William Werner, sells fancy-shmancy lookin’, bougie-sounding sweets and savories (i.e. a haute dog, with beet chips), displayed with enough space between each item to make you think you’re shopping for designer goods. Well, I guess in the world of pastry, the fare that’s served at Craftsman and Wolves is as designer as it gets – both in the display, and in taste….Continue Reading

Like this:

If someone had told me a week ago that I’d spend 4+ hours on a Saturday night researching one very specific, rather unknown oyster – a Canadian oyster at that! – I would’ve been amused by the thought, but also slightly concerned that I’m not reaching out to friends enough. But what can I say, last night I was consumed by the thought of a Chef’s Creek oyster, a variety that, to be fair, I plan on having in my life like a new best friend…Continue Reading

If the mustache is the measure of a bartender in San Francisco, then the mustache on Craig Lane is the one that every old-hand and newcomer has looked up to since he graced Bar Agricole with his dapper presence in 2010. Ok, maybe it’s not so much the mustache, but rather, his near 20 years of cocktailing experience that’s the real reason behind his behind-the-bar prowess…but we all know the mustache certainly doesn’t hurt. In all sincerity, it’s not the mustache or the experience that really separates him from the other distinguished talent in this city. Nor is it the impeccable quality of every drink that he pours – quality is clearly a given here. It’s his personable persona, his depth of knowledge, and the way in which every move he makes shows the pride he has in his chosen profession. With many a mixologist in this city, Craig Lane is truly an industry all-star…Continue Reading

Think fast: who is the person that makes the best cookie you’ve ever had? I’d bet cold hard cash that you’re about to throw down for your mom…although your grandma may also be a contender. Hell, maybe you’d even say yourself! But guess what? You’re wrong. It turns out that your mom doesn’t make the best cookies. Anthony does. Continue Reading…

I’ve been to Sons & Daughters twice over the years, first in 2010 when they were relatively new, and again in 2011 after they’d received their first Michelin star. Both times the food was tasty and modern, with a fairly unique approach to hyper-local, ingredient-driven cuisine. I left both meals feeling generally happy with what I had experienced, but in the back of my mind there was something missing; I felt as though the restaurant wasn’t reaching its full potential and that, with a few small tweaks, those meals could have been memorable instead of relatively unremarkable. That all changed last Sunday when, on my third visit to Sons & Daughters, I experienced a meal that wasn’t just remarkable, it was flawless…Continue Reading

Over the years I’ve gone from never cooking for myself (college), to cooking all the time, to hardly ever cooking because I’m too lazy or tired. I’m about to go over the edge of laziness, where walking more than a block for food is starting to bother me. Before I’m ordering terrible Chinese food because it delivers every night, I’m putting the breaks on and making a point to cook more.

I’m also finally ready to start eating a wee bit healthier – a few solid nights of eating salads and veggies instead of Phat Philly onion rings and pizza at Serranos is the plan. But I have one problem: I’m still pretty damn lazy and am easily deterred by long, involved recipes. “Long” and “involved” meaning longer than say 10-15 minutes. So what am I to do? Arugula and avocado salad. Boom…Continue Reading

Sadly, 2013 isn’t off to the best start. Why? Because one of my all-time favorite restaurants is changing, and in the process, dying. Mr. Pollo may not be closing, but with the recent, shall we say, “Hostile Takeover” of the space and the departure of the heart of the restaurant, Chef Manny Torres Gimenez, it’s certainly the end of an era (more details to follow soon, in a separate write-up). The Mr. Pollo we’ve all loved over the last three years is essentially gone, which means one thing’s for sure: it looks like I will be arepa’d no more…Continue Reading

It’s true that I go out to eat very often. More often than most. Because of this, many of the people around me have this misconception that I’m very picky and only go to “fancy” places (translation: restaurants where a complete meal for 2 will cost upwards of $100). But what they don’t realize is that when I’m not going out to “fancy” restaurants, I’m not preparing seasonal salads and roasted veggies. No, no, in reality I’m incredibly lazy, which means I secretly stuff my face with cheap, unrefined, unhealthy foods.

And I’m not even talking about a wide range of fatty mcfat foods either! Nah, I like to hone in on one thing that really hits the spot, and then eat it on an almost daily basis for a good month or two; a food that, at some point, has stopped just being a temptation and has become an actual problem. I call these my “problem foods” and, since the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem, I’m shedding light on my issues with this first post of my new “Uncontrollable Cravings” series…Continue Reading

It’s November. That time of the year when the leaves have faded from golden orange to yellows and browns, when roasted squash begins popping up on menus across the city, and when you can finally feel that late autumn chill in the San Francisco wind. That special time of the year that makes me want to talk about…sandwiches.

I don’t know about you, but in my world, it’s always sandwich season. Unfortunately, there seem to be fewer and fewer occasions where I’m truly blown away by such a ubiquitous food. I’ve had to ask myself, “Have I tried every deli sandwich that appeals to my sensibilities? Every Panini? Bahn Mi? Every Cubano?” I mean, I’ve been eating sandwiches on the regular for my entire life…what’s really left to impress?…Continue Reading